Project information

Museum of Iron,how Coalbrookdale Changed the World

The redeveloped Museum of Iron will be the catalyst for the reinterpretation of the iconic industrial landscape that exists at Coalbrookdale and through this project we will seek to explain the global significance of the World Heritage Site from its origins to the present day and beyond

Charity information: The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust

Need

In 1709, Coalbrookdale was the place where Abraham Darby first began smelting iron using coke as a fuel instead of charcoal. The innovations & cycles of industrial development that radiated out from this event have changed every aspect of how people live, work & communicate across the globe. Our overall aim is to significantly improve our education facilities for schools & groups & to help visitors of all ages better understand the world-changing importance of Coalbrookdale & the story of iron.

Solution

The project will make a number of significant improvements to the spaces within the Museum & improve access to the Trust’s Designated Collections. The Great Warehouse that houses the Museum is a very beautiful building & through the project we will make the building a more integral part of the overall visitor experience. We will also create for the first time a dedicated education/learning space within the Museum.

Activities

What success will look like

Impact

This project will place the Museum of Iron amongst the World’s leading museums in terms of both curatorial excellence and educational facilities, as well as increasing our visitor numbers by 20%. We operate a system of continuous evaluation to determine success including visitor comment cards, mystery shopper reports, Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) and schools’ evaluation forms as well as entering for award schemes.

Risk

The main risk is insufficient funds to allow us to complete the full extent of the project. We have some funding already in place and an active campaign to raise the remainder that is necessary.

Reporting

All donors to this project will receive regular project updates via letter and email and a personal thank you letter for their contribution. Amounts over £500 are recognised in our Annual Review and our annual statutory accounts.

Budget - Project Cost: £5,000

Location

The Museum of Iron is located at Coalbrookdale in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage site, one of the first in the UK designated in 1986. The Museum is housed in the Grade II listed Great Warehouse built in 1838, the Museum of Iron was originally used by the Coalbrookdale Company to assemble cast iron products, remaining in use until the 1970s. The iconic cast-iron clock tower was added in 1843 and provides a striking landmark to the beautiful steep sided valley.

Beneficiaries

All visitors to the Museum of Iron will benefit from this project and the project will create for the first time a dedicated education/learning space within the Museum. This area will be used primarily by schoolchildren for the purposes of plenary sessions following their visit to the galleries and for bespoke sessions involving handling objects, etc. The space will also be available for adult groups visiting the Museum, led by a volunteer guide or member of the Museum’s staff.

Why Us?

The Museum of Iron is one of the 10 museums managed by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Established more than 40 years ago the Trust has twin charitable aims of education and heritage conservation. The Museum of Iron is located at Coalbrookdale, in Telford and is the birthplace of Industrial Revolution, which we believe creates the perfect location to help visitors of all ages to better understand the world-changing importance of Coalbrookdale & the story of iron.